Preview: Canadiens, Rangers Meet at MSG in Clash of Struggling Teams NEW YORK (Interstat) — Two teams looking to halt recent slides will meet when the Montreal Canadiens visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Both clubs enter the matchup with identical 15-win records, though the Rangers (15-17-0) sit below the Canadiens (15-14-0) in the overall standings due to three more regulation losses. Each is coming off a shutout loss in its last outing. Montreal was routed 6-1 by the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, while the Rangers fell 3-0 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday. The Canadiens have lost three of their last four games, while the Rangers have dropped three straight in regulation. A key matchup will feature Montreal’s emerging forward Oliver Kapanen against Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Kapanen has been a bright spot for the Canadiens, recording a goal and an assist over his last five games, including Montreal’s lone goal in the loss to Tampa Bay. The center has points in three of his last seven contests. Shesterkin, the Rangers’ Vezina Trophy-winning netminder, has been busy but inconsistent. He made 38 saves in a narrow 3-2 loss to Colorado on Dec. 6 but was pulled after allowing three goals on 12 shots in his most recent start against Chicago. His performance will be critical for a Rangers team that has struggled to score, having been shut out in two of its last six games. The Rangers won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 4-3 victory in Montreal on Oct. 18. Montreal’s road trip continues Sunday in Edmonton, while the Rangers host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday to begin a three-game homestand. Saturday’s game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. EST puck drop at Madison Square Garden.